James’s overlapping areas of philosophical research are the history of 17th- and 18th-century philosophy, political and social philosophy, and feminist philosophy. Within the history of early modern philosophy, her work has focused on the passions and their ethical and political implications.

She is the author of “Spinoza on Philosophy, Religion and Politics: The Theologico-Political Treatise” (2012); “Margaret Cavendish: Political Writings” (2003); and “Passion and Action: The Emotions in Early Modern Philosophy” (1997); and a forthcoming collection of essays, “Spinoza on Learning to Live Together.”

Prior to teaching at Birbeck College, James worked at the University of Connecticut and the University of Cambridge. She has held visiting positions at Hebrew University, the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Boston University and the University of Sydney. In 2013-14, she was a Laurance S. Rockefeller visiting faculty fellow at the Center for Human Values, Princeton University.

She is the president of the Aristotelian Society and was the previous president of the European Society for Early Modern Philosophy.